Deuteronomy 12:5-19

5 But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;
6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,
9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the LORD your God is giving you.
10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.
11 Then to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD.
12 And there rejoice before the LORD your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.
14 Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.
15 Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the LORD your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it.
16 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.
18 Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice before the LORD your God in everything you put your hand to.
19 Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

Deuteronomy 12:5-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 12

In this chapter orders are given to destroy all altars, pillars, groves, and images, made for the worship of idols in the land of Canaan, De 12:1-3 and to bring all sacrifices and holy things unto the place which the Lord should choose for his habitation, and not do as they then did, not being come to their rest, De 12:4-14, flesh for their common food might be killed and eaten in their own houses, provided they did not eat the blood, but poured it out upon the earth, De 12:15-25, tithes, vows, and freewill offerings, were to be eaten in the holy place, De 12:17-19 and burnt offerings to be offered on the altar of the Lord and the blood of them to be poured out upon the altar, De 12:26-28, all which they were carefully to observe, De 12:29, and they are cautioned against idolatry, and inquiring after the manner of it, as practised by the old inhabitants of the land, and introducing their customs into the service of God, De 12:30-32.

Cross References 32

  • 1. S Exodus 20:24; S 2 Samuel 7:13
  • 2. ver 11,13; Deuteronomy 14:23; Deuteronomy 15:20; Deuteronomy 16:2,11; Deuteronomy 18:6; Deuteronomy 26:2; 1 Samuel 2:29; 1 Kings 5:5; 1 Kings 8:16; 1 Kings 9:3; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 2 Chronicles 6:6; 2 Chronicles 7:12,16; Ezra 6:12; Ezra 7:15; Psalms 26:8; Psalms 78:68; Zechariah 2:12
  • 3. S Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 14:22-23
  • 4. S Genesis 28:20
  • 5. Joshua 22:27; Isaiah 66:20
  • 6. S Exodus 18:12
  • 7. ver 12,18; S Leviticus 23:40; Deuteronomy 14:26; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; Ecclesiastes 5:18-20; S Isaiah 62:9
  • 8. Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25
  • 9. S Exodus 33:14; Deuteronomy 3:20; Psalms 95:11; Micah 2:10
  • 10. Deuteronomy 4:21
  • 11. S Deuteronomy 11:31
  • 12. S Exodus 33:14
  • 13. S ver 5; Deuteronomy 15:20; Deuteronomy 16:2
  • 14. S Leviticus 1:3; Joshua 22:23
  • 15. ver 7
  • 16. Deuteronomy 26:11-13
  • 17. S Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:9; Deuteronomy 14:29
  • 18. S ver 5
  • 19. ver 11
  • 20. ver 20-23; ver 22; Deuteronomy 14:5; Deuteronomy 15:22
  • 21. S Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26; Leviticus 17:10-12; Acts 15:20
  • 22. ver 23-24; S Genesis 35:14; 1 Chronicles 11:18; Jeremiah 7:18
  • 23. S Leviticus 17:13; S Deuteronomy 15:23; John 19:34
  • 24. S Leviticus 27:30
  • 25. S Numbers 18:12
  • 26. ver 26; Numbers 18:19
  • 27. Deuteronomy 14:23; Deuteronomy 15:20
  • 28. Deuteronomy 14:23; Deuteronomy 15:20
  • 29. ver 5
  • 30. ver 7,12; Deuteronomy 14:26; Nehemiah 8:10; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
  • 31. ver 12; Deuteronomy 14:27; Nehemiah 13:10
  • 32. Malachi 3:8
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